A Few Things to Think About:

A Few Things to Think About: How many offers will you extend after your lottery? Count how many forms do you think will be in your enrollment packet? What languages do you plan to translate documents into, and who will do your translating? What will you do at your Accepted Students Event if you have one? If you do not plan to have one, what, if anything, will you do to encourage acceptances? What are your outstanding Lottery questions? 1

with Burke Consulting Admissions & Enrollment Best Practices April 2012

STUDENT ADMISSIONS/ ENROLLMENT SESSION LEARNING OBJECTIVES Understand the Admissions process and best practices Understand the Enrollment process and best practices Steps, decisions, timeline, documents, systems For special populations (ELL, special homeless) Purpose of collecting typical enrollment documents Understand when and why ATS and CAP systems should be used Understand student file requirements and best practices Understand student information system uses and options Feel ready manage your Admissions/ Enrollment processes 3

Enrollment goes hand in hand with Admissions, and usually leads to Family Meetings prior to school opening. FULL STUDENT ENROLLMENT PROCESS FALL / WINTER SPRING SUMMER ---> FALL Student Recruitment/ Community Outreach Accept Applications Lottery (Event = early mid April) Admissions Fill classes: Extend offers, Encourage acceptance, Manage responses; Confirm CSD Enrollment - Gather required documents; Officially enroll/update ATS, CAP; Create Student Files Family Meetings IEP conferences; Family Welcome Mtgs; Collect outstanding documents Admissions Enrollment Family Mtgs 4

The Typical Admissions/ Enrollment Timeline April Conduct Lottery; Send first offer/ waitlist letters April Track responses, Check CSD, Send enrollment packets June Enroll students in ATS, Conduct placement tests August Medical Forms, Complete Student Records September Free/ Reduced lunch forms May Acceptance events, Ongoing Admissions and Enrollment doc distribution/ collection, Create student files June Get IEPs from CSE, request records from prior schools July / August Reconfirm student enrollment, Conduct IEP meetings Optional Family Handbook Late July/ Early August depending on start date; Often distributed/discussed at Family meetings Family Meetings Usually August; Usually with assigned advisor/main teacher Home visits Usually July/ August 5

Admissions Activities and Timeframes Agree Admissions tranches and practices Number of offers to make per tranche - Consider spring/ summer rejections, fall withdrawals; competition; historic figures; your population Response dates - Consider DOE and other charter/private/religious school deadlines - Typical response timeframes First tranche - K 5/6: 3 weeks - Middle/ High school: Day after DOE announcements Second tranche: 1-2 weeks Third+ tranches: 2-5 days How will send offers (letter and/or email) Create Offer/ Waitlist letters (all tranches, fill in blanks later) Plan/Confirm CSD check/ tracking/ response process Early April Before Lottery Early April Send First Round of letters (Offers, Wait list) Send Second + Round of letters (Offers) Confirm CSD for all acceptances; Manage issues April May/ June April/ June A good target is to have your classes filled by early June 6

The NYC DOE accepts any two of the following documents as proof of residency: Document Type Examples Criteria Residential utility bill Documentation or letter from a federal, state or local government agency Official payroll documentation from an employer Residential rental or ownership documents Gas or electric bill issued by National Grid (formerly Keyspan), Con Edison, or Long Island Power Authority (for Rockaways) Water bill Internal Revenue Service City Housing Authority Human Resources Administration Administration for Children s Services (ACS), or an ACS subcontractor Form submitted for tax withholding purposes Payroll receipt An original lease agreement, deed or mortgage statement for the residence A current property tax bill for the residence Must show resident s name and address Must be dated within previous 60 days Must be on official letterhead Must show resident s name and address Must be dated within previous 60 days Must show resident s name and address Cannot be a letter on employer letterhead Must be dated within previous 60 days Must show resident s name and address 7

Not acceptable by NYC DOE as proof of residency: Cable or phone bill Driver s License Passport 8

Residency - Homeless students Federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act Students in temporary housing have the right to enroll immediately in school even if they are unable to provide documents typically required for enrollment (i.e. proof of residency, immunization records, school records, guardianship paper, birth certificate or other documents) If a school disputes the classification of homelessness of a student, the student must still be enrolled immediately All investigations should be conducted with sensitivity and respect For more information, see:http://www.nysteachs.org/info-topic/nyslaws.html 9

CSD (Community School District)/ Residency Verification Notes Some schools confirm CSD before their lottery Be sure to use the same verification process you suggested to parents, if you did so CSD#s can change between elementary and middle/high school Variances granted for elementary school do not extend beyond elementary grades What to do if need to rescind an offer Call family to explain reason for rescission and where you found proof of incorrect CSD (and/or other critical errors in application data if found e.g. re preferences) Send official letter rescinding offer with explanation 10

Admissions Process Best Practices/ Notes Have a clear plan of dates for admission tranches for your staff to know, and to tell parents. Have translators ready (respond to calls, translate docs and emails) Accuracy and timely update of Admission Sheet is critical -Best to have one owner changing data Ask for Consent to Release Records with Acceptance Form, and advise of testing dates as soon as possible Test mail merge well in advance 11

Enrollment Activities and Timeframes Agree/ Source Enrollment Packet Contents and Deadlines Mandatory vs Optional docs (see sample list) Response dates - By offer tranche - Note: Medical forms often take longer to complete Tracking mechanism Create Enrollment Packet Sequence and Numbering Cover note TOC/ checklist Translate all documents Make hard/soft Golden Copies Distribute Enrollment Packets Early April Mid-April Early April Follow up on document submission/ completion Create student files (temporary, permanent) Check for ELL, IEP status Update/ Pull information from ATS/ CAP Obtain student records from prior schools Conduct IEP meetings May - August June/ Summer June June (July) June June/July 12

Enrollment documents prove commitment and residency, and gather contact and demographic data Residency Prove residency for CSD preference Determine whether child is homeless Confirm billing district (NYC, Yonkers, Bronxville, etc) Confirm age and grade of child Get student census (DOB, gender, etc) Contact Information Capture parent / guardian contact data Get emergency and pick up child information 13

They also lay the foundation for student files and determine special population status Ensure medical requirements are met Find out home language in order to classify child as ELL Get or get releases for student records and IEPs Determine transportation preference Important note: It is illegal to ask about immigration status 14

Sample list of typical enrollment forms: Contact, dismissal and emergency information Residency questionnaire (DOE offers in 10 languages) http://schools.nyc.gov/studentsupport/nonacademicsupport/studentsintem poraryhousing/default.htm Home language survey (DOE offers in 15 languages) http://schools.nyc.gov/academics/ell/familyresources/parent+information. htm Student ethnicity, IEP status, free/reduced lunch status (if known) Transportation preference Medical Forms (DOE, Allergies) Parent/guardian communication preference Parent consent to release student school records Field Trip Authorization Media release Free / reduced lunch form (released by DOE in the fall) Computer usage agreement 15

Enrollment documents: Medical Medical requirements for all students entering a New York City school for the first time A complete physical examination: Child & Adolescent Health Examination Form (CH-205) http://schools.nyc.gov/nr/rdonlyres/21ce49b9-39bf-4752-af82- ED7A67CED117/38865/CH205.pdf If entering a secondary school, TB test More information: http://schools.nyc.gov/nr/rdonlyres/ee3567f2- CAB7-4D3A-9543-3D910953239E/0/MedReq2010.pdf Immunization information and letters: http://schools.nyc.gov/offices/health/immunizationinfo/default.htm 16

Enrollment documents: Determining ELL status Two types of ELL students need to be identified: 1.First-time ELLs: Students entering the NYC public school system for the first time Kindergarten students Students transferring from outside of NYC public school system (i.e. private school, another state, another country) 2. Current ELLs Students transferring from another public school in NYC Should already have LAB-R or NYSESLAT score listed in ATS 17

First time ELL identification is a 2 step testing process 1. Home Language Identification Survey (HLIS) Filled out only once when student enters NYC public school system Two pages to be filled out by parent Must be signed by parent on the second page 2. Language Assessment Battery Revised (LAB-R) Tests the student s level of English language ability to determine eligibility for ESL services Must be administered to each eligible student individually Must be administered by a pedagogue Students whose HLIS form indicates that their home language is not English are legally required to take the LAB-R test 18

Identification of Current ELLs Students already in the NYC public school system will have a LAB-R or NYSESLAT score in ATS NYSESLAT is the New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test which is administered in the spring to test English proficiency level. Possible scores are: B: Beginner I: Intermediate A: Advanced P: Proficient Students scoring B, I or A are your current ELLs Additional information on ELLs can be found at: http://theellconsortium.wikispaces.com/identifying+ells 19

Enrollment Process Notes/ Best Practices Enrollment docs prove commitment but are not binding Double side enrollment packet forms as much as possible Electronic student files discuss pros/cons and decide as leadership team Plan testing days as early as possible so can tell families Request student records from prior school as early as possible, with goal to receive by June 30. Understand profile of student body early via ATS data - In ATS, find ELL, IEP, Meal Plan, bday, gender, etc Plan to conduct IEP meetings as early as possible, starting in July if possible Many schools have introductory Family Meetings usually in August and part of the Academic program - are an opportunity to collect missing enrollment documents 20

DOE Student Information Systems - ATS and CAP ATS: Automate the Schools DOE student information system circa 1976 ATS is required for ATS is optional for Enrollment Transportation Free / reduced - price lunch Health ELL status State test results Attendance You must List Notice (transfer in or create records for) students in ATS as part of enrollment, and out if they leave Source of key student information (DOB, gender, meal code, IEP program, ELL status, etc) ATS is typically not accessible in July when promotion takes place. Bus routes are run after promotion. 21

ATS is a critical part of student enrollment; Accuracy of ATS and CAP data impacts funding. CAP: Tracks special education students. System is separate from ATS; i.e., enrolling a student in ATS for a school does not automatically enroll the special education student in the school. Uses of CAP: Enroll IEP students (in tandem with ATS) Research/ Update/Track IEP program It is critical that at least 2 people are familiar with the use of ATS and CAP - for CAP this can be your special education team. The DOE provides training and a help desk. Your DOE invoices should match ATS and CAP. You will be reconciled to them at the end of the year, if not intra-year. 22

Student Information Systems (SIS) Student Information Systems can be used in many ways, and should be considered in the context of your full Technology Plan. Data storage (student profile, grades, test scores, incident tracking, meeting notes, etc) Data analysis and reporting Many schools rely on ATS and Excel together to act as their collective student information systems for their first years. Other options are student information systems like Powerschool, MMS, Infinite Campus, SASI Criteria for selection Ease of implementation Ease of use Customer support Price 23

Student files must be well maintained and stored in a secure location Most schools initially use temporary student files to hold lottery results letters, offer responses and enrollment documents, and create permanent, indexed files over the summer. Main student file content categories Personal: Contact information, Acceptance, Residency, HLIS, Transportation Academics (prior to your school, at your school) IEP (usually maintained by Special Education department) Behavior Release forms Medical (copy goes to nurse) IEP and Medical documents should be kept separate from main student files, also under lock and key Student files will be reviewed/audited during your pre-opening visit and end of year audit 24

Student File Logistics and Best Practices Cabinets LOGISTICS Must be locked Plan for easy to access, plan for multi-years BEST PRACTICES Ensure key security and accessibility Create as early as possible File folders Easy to add/remove docs Color code by year Keep them organized Monitor sign out/in Create second/part 2 vs over fill; Clearly identify if have more than one file for a student Teachers often review student files in the summer Sign out sheets Required/Audited 25

Admissions and Enrollment Webinar Summary Admissions - Plan your tranches and due dates; Draft your letters. - Target full classes by June 7 Enrollment Enrollment packet planning, distribution, collection Official enrollment Be organized Student Files - Temporary/ Permanent - Logistics - Control Student Information Systems DOE: ATS, CAP Data storage and analysis Options: Powerschool Family meetings Reminder Practice full Lottery, Send Lottery Results to Authorizer 26